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Email templates · IT and computer repair

Email template to request a data recovery quote

A hard drive, external drive, memory card, phone, or laptop has stopped working and there are files on it you cannot replace. Data recovery is a specialized service, different from general computer repair, where a lab tries to pull the files off failed storage. Prices range from under a hundred dollars for a simple software recovery to well over a thousand for a drive that has to be opened in a dust-free clean room. Email is the right first step because a reputable lab will want the exact symptoms and device details before quoting, and you want their evaluation terms, pricing tiers, and "no data, no fee" policy in writing before you ship them something irreplaceable.

Before you send

  • The device: make, model, and capacity of the drive or the computer it lives in. If it is an external drive, note whether it is a traditional spinning hard drive or a solid-state drive, because they fail differently and cost differently to recover.
  • The exact symptoms. Clicking or grinding sounds, not showing up on the computer, a "drive needs to be formatted" message, or a device that was dropped or got wet. Each points to a different kind of recovery.
  • What you have done since it failed. If a drive is making noise, stop running it; every extra minute can make the recovery harder or impossible.
  • What you most need back. A specific folder of photos or one set of documents is a smaller job than "everything."
  • How you want the recovered files returned: on a new external drive they supply, on one you send, or by secure download.
Subject Data recovery quote for a [type of device, for example "2 TB external hard drive"] 
Hi,

I have a [make, model, and capacity] that has failed, and I'd like a quote for recovering the files on it.

What happened: [the symptoms, for example "it started clicking and no longer shows up on my computer"]. This happened on [date]. Since then I have [what you did, for example "unplugged it and not tried again"]. The files I most need are [what matters, for example "a folder of family photos, about 40 GB"].

Could you tell me:

- Whether you offer a free evaluation, and whether I pay anything if recovery isn't possible
- Your pricing tiers for this kind of failure, and what pushes it into a higher tier
- Whether you have a clean room on site or send drives elsewhere
- Typical turnaround, and any rush option
- How the recovered files are returned to me

I'd like to decide by [date], so a reply this week would be a big help.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your phone number]
[Your city and state]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • A good lab replies with a free or low-cost evaluation, a written price range by failure type, and a clear no-data-no-fee policy. Be wary of a quote that promises a fixed low price before anyone has looked at the drive.
  • Send the same email to two or three labs. Recovery pricing varies enormously, and a mid-range quote with a clear policy usually beats the cheapest one.
  • Ask for the evaluation result in writing before approving the recovery, including a list of recoverable files if they can provide one. Then approve a firm price, not a range.
  • If the quote is far beyond what the files are worth to you, ask whether a lower-tier attempt is possible and what its odds are. Some failures are cheap to try and expensive only if the first attempt fails.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Get me quotes to recover files from a dead drive 
Hi StandIn,

Please get quotes from a few data recovery labs for a failed device with files I need back, and help me choose one.

The device: [make, model, capacity, and type: spinning drive, solid-state drive, phone, or memory card].
What happened: [symptoms, date, what I did afterward].
What I need most: [specific folders or everything].
How I want the files back: [their drive / my drive / secure download].
My location: [city and state].
Budget: [amount, or "not sure, show me the options"].

Ask each lab about evaluation terms, no-data-no-fee policy, pricing tiers, clean room, and turnaround. Compare them and tell me which you'd pick and why.

Thanks,
[Your name]

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